Spring teetering toy



" l. A. sHANToN f sPR'ING TEETERING'TUY f Filed 11.30.24, 1925 July 175 1928.

Patented July 17, 1928.`

IRA. A.' sHAN'roN, oF s'i.l PETERSBURG, FLoRInA.

' SPRINGTEETERING TOY.' i

Application led December 24, 1925.

My invention relates generally to toys and more particularly to a springv teetering toy or plaything that is designed to afford pleasing, beneficial and interesting amusement for children, and at the same attractive form of mild exercise for the users of thetoy.

The principal objects of my invention are to generally improve upon and simplify the existing forms of spring teetering toys; to provide a toyrof the character referred to that is relatively simple in construction, ca-

pable of beingeasily and cheaply produced, y

further, to provide simple and eiiicient means for regulating the tension of the spring that supports the user of the toy, ythereby enabling the toy to be used by children of different weights, andfurther, vto produce A-a toy that involves the dual principles of both teetering and rockinomotions, thereby simu-V lating thefpleasing effects produced by horseback riding. l n n In practically all of the spring teetermg toys now on the market, no provisioiris made for regulating the tension of the spring, and thus the toy may only be used successfully by children of a given weightk or Ywithin a relatively narrow range or limit; of weights. l propose to overcome this disadvantage and increase the usefulness of the amusement device, by providingy the spring arm of the toy withl auxiliary means, preferably a spring or springs that will be effective in increasing the tension or resiliency ofthe main spring arm, thereby enabling the toyto be effectively and conveniently used by children of different weights. f

A further object of my invention is to provide a spring teeteringtoy with asaddlelike seat that is mounted for'limited rocking movement, thereby imparting tothechild or occupant of the seat the eHect of riding a pony or horse and which result, it will be understood, materially enhances the attractiveness and utility of the toy.

With the foregoing and other Aobjects in View, my invention consists incertain novel features of of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which;

i Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a spring teetering toy constructed in accordance with my invention.

time to provide an` construction and arrangement Serial` No. 77,504.

Fig. '2 is an enlarged vertical sectiontaken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 yis an. enlarged cross se onthe lineB-B of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the toy.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1. f

Referring by numerals to .the accompanying drawings which illustrate-,a practical embodiment 0f my invention, 10 designates a base member, preferably a flat board or panel and secured on'top of one*4 end thereof is a block l1 having an inclined upper face and which functions asa fulcrum for the swinging arm of the toy.

Mounted in any suitable manner on block l1 and lying on the inclined face thereof is the lower portion of a spring arm 12, preferably formed of steel and lia-ving a relatively high degree of resiliency.` Thisspring arm normally occupies an vangular position tion taken zontal plane. Adjustably secur of aboutBO or degrees relative to a hori-A d inany suitable manner to the upper portion ofthe spring arm 12 is a bracket 13 and ypivotally connected or hinged' thereto so as to rock on a horizontal axis 14 is asaddle-like seat'l, that is adapted to be occupied by the user of the toy. This bracket may be adjustably securedto arm 12 iii various ways, but I prefer to lock said bracket to said arm by rmeans of a wedge member 13a that isy driven between said bracket andone edge of saidarm (see Figq). y f p Secured to spring arm 12 a short distance in front of bracket 13 is'one end of a spring 16,tlie free end of which bears against the undersideof seat 15 in front-of axis 14.

Thus, the rear portion of the seat normally bears on topof the rear portion of the springv arm. n Secured to and projecting upwardly from the front portion of the seat is a panel 17 that is shaped and painted so as to represent the -head and njeckiof a pony and projecting outwardly. from thesides of this panel are short rods 18 that serve as handles to be grasped by the occupant of seat 15.

A foot lrest `a wedge or key 21 is driven between the edge 19 is provided by bending a f loopf20 in the central portion of a metalL end of loop (see is a plurality of rings or loops 23.

Inasmuch as this arm 22 is a continuation of arm 12, it has a certain degree of resiliency, but on account of its short length, it offers considerable resistance to flexing forces. In order to increase the tension of spring arm 12 so that it will flex properly while the toy is being used by heavier children, a flexible member 24; such as a cord,rope, chain or wire connects the upper portion of the short arm 22 with the intermediate or upper portion of spring arm l2. This flexible connection may include a suitable retractile coil spring such as'25 and its forward end may be connected to any one of the loops 23, thereby taking' advantage. of different degrees of resiliency of the short spring arm 22.

he rear or upper end of this flexible connection may be connected at any desired point throughout the length of spring arm l2 in, order to obtain the proper tension or resistance to flexure when the toy is used by children of varying weights. The upper or rear end of' flexible member 24 may be detachably connected to the central portion of the adjustable foot rest 19 as shown by solid lines in F ig. 1, or it may be connected to aseparate loop or bracket that is adjustably mounted on spring arm 12,as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. c

Obviously the flexible member must be constructed so that it may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the long and short spring arms.

In some instances the spring 16 that bears against the underside of the seat 15 may be dispensed with and an ordinary spring hinge used as a connection between the spring arm 12 and the seat.

When the toy is used by acomparatively small or light weight child, the fiexible connection between the short and long springs is dispensed with, but when av larger and heavier child desires to use the toy, the flexible member is installed, thereby providing the required increase in tension or resistance to flexure and thus the usefulness of the toy is materially increased in that it may be used by children whose weights vary from thirty to forty pounds up to one hundred pounds or over. Y

In the use of' the toy, the child is placed on seat 15 with the feet on rest 19, and the handsl grasping rods 18.

A slight movement of' the body will cause spring arm '12 to flex or teeter vertically on block 1l as a fulcrum and simultaneoui-ily with this teetering movement, the seat will rock on its axis 14, thereby producing the pleasing and beneficial effects that simulate the riding of a. horse or pony. Y

It will be` understood that minor changes` in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved spring teetering toy may be made and substituted for those vherein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention. the -scopeof which is set forth in the ap pended claims. v

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spring teetering toy the combination with a base, of a spring arm mounted on said base and extending upwardly at an angle relative thereto, a seat carried by the free end of said spring arm, a relatively short spring arm projecting upwardly from the lower end of the rst mentioned spring arm `and a flexible connection -between said relatively short spring arm and the upper portion ofthe angularly disposedv spring arm.

2. A spring teetering toy comprising a base, a spring arm mounted on said base and projecting upwardlyV at an angle therefrom, a seat mounted for rocking movement on the upper portion of said spring arm the vlower end of' which Spring arm isybent upwardly to provide a relatively lshort'aux- Y iliary spring arm and a fiexible` member adjustably connected to the upper portion of the auxiliary spring arm and the intermediate portion of the angularly disposed spring arm. l

Y 3. A spring teetering toy comprising a base, a spring arm mounted on said base and projecting upwardly at an angle therefrom, a seat mounted 'on the upper portion of said spring arm, the lower end of Said spring arm being bent upwardly to provide a-relatively short auxiliary spring arm, and a flexible connection between said auxiliary springarm and the upper portion of the inclined spring arm.

4. In a spring teeteringtoy, a. base, a fulcrum block mounted adjacent torone end of said base, a section of Vresilient material mounted on said fulcrum block at a point intermediate the ends of said section'of resilientl material to form a main spring arm that occupies an inclined position relative to said base and a short spring arm that oc-V cupies a substantially vertical position relative to said base,` a member connecting the upper portion of the short spring arm with the intermediate portion vof the long 'spring arm and a seat carried by the upper portion ofthe long spring arm.

5. In a spring teetering toy,a base, a fulcrum block mounted adjacent to one end kof said base, a section of resilient material mounted on said fulcrum block at a point intermediate the ends of said section of resilient material to form a main spring arm that occupies an inclined posit-ion relative to said base and a short spring arm that occupies a substantially' vertical position relative to said base, a member connecting the upper portion of the short spring arm with the intermediate portion of the long spring arm, a seat carried by the upper p0rtion of the long spring arm and an adJustable foot rest arranged on the long spring arm in front of said seat.

6. In a spring teetering toy, a base, an inclined arm having its lower end fulcrumed on said base so as to swing through a vertical plane, a seat carried by the upper portion of said swinging arm, a. short resilient member projecting upwardly from the base adjacent to the lower end of the swinging arm and an adjustable connection between the upper portion of said vertically disposed arm and the intermediate portion of the swinging arm for varying the resistance of said inclined-arm to swinging movements.

7. In a spring teetering toy, a base, a fulcrum block is provided with an inclined upper face, an inclined arm having its lower portion mounted on the inclined face of said ulcrum block so that said arm occupies an inclined position relative to the base, a seat block mounted thereon, which fulcrum carried by the upper portion of said swingf ing arm, a short arm projecting upwardly from the base adjacent to said fulcrum block and a flexible connection between'the upper portion of said short arm and the intermediate portion of the swingin arm for yieldingly resisting the downwar swinging movements of said inclined arm.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature IRA A, sHAN'roN. 

